Jim Ross Lightfoot

Will a Law Fix It

Hearts broke nationwide as the news spread regarding the senseless killing at the Covenant School in Nashville, TN. So many are asking, "Why?"

Politicians have taken their usual positions of blaming the other party and screaming loudly that a new law or two will fix the situation. The President of the United States is the leading cheerleader for more hate and a lack of responsible thinking. Those on the other side of the political aisle are engaging in the same game. There is plenty of blame to go around.

Lightfoot: Balloons and buffoons everywhere you look

Balloon and buffoon. The two words rhyme, and it seems we have plenty of both floating around today.

After watching the news coverage regarding shooting down balloons floating over our country, I couldn’t help but flip on the laptop and jot this down.

There is much discussion concerning whether the Chinese balloon should have been shot down before it ever moved over the continental United States. The argument supporting that line of thought is the balloon, and its attached spy gear, was capable of photographing and probing sensitive military installations.

May I embrace what it means to be alive

Greetings of a New Year! I hope this is a beautiful Sunday for you. Attached, please find a prayer I plagiarized from Maria Shriver's Sunday paper. It asks for all the right things. As a firm believer that today is all we have, yesterday is in the rearview mirror, and what we make of today will determine what kind of day we have tomorrow. This isn't something new for me. For nearly 20 some years, when I was in commercial broadcasting, I signed all of my shows off with, "and you make it a good day.” Enjoy the prayer; you may even want to repeat it. And you make it a good day.

Dear God, may I embrace this new year to its fullest, for now is all we have. May I live out loud and cherish every breath, every moment, every person I love, and every opportunity that comes my way. May I embrace what it means to be alive and never take this gift you’ve given me for granted. Amen.

Open letter: To the Republican leadership, or perhaps, should I say, lack of leadership in the US Congress?

US Capitol, Washington, DC September 29, 2022 Wake up and smell the coffee. Can’t you see what’s happening in our country? We elected you to do precisely the opposite of what you are doing. Your priorities should be God, country, community, family, and self. In that exact order. I believe that’s what Tom, George, Ben and the guys that got together in 1776 decided that America was supposed to be. A country made-up of strong individuals, coming from different phases of life, working together to construct legislation that benefits everyone.

I'd like to share a link with you

Re: Joe Biden: When Dementia Graduates To FASCISM I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of being called a racist, fascist, and a threat to our republic. In my humble opinion, we have a President who has gone entirely off the rails.  He is not uniting as our President should be; he's a divider.  He cannot talk about going to lunch without turning it into something negative about Republicans.  He is no longer the loyal opposition but, sadly, has become the enemy of the country our forefathers put together some 246 years ago.

Bipartisan Pain

There is one bipartisan issue Democrats and Republicans are both faced with: Fundraising.  It is an election year, and both political parties are clamoring to fill their campaign war chests. Much of the money will come from Political Action Committees (PAC).  Republicans tend to get their PAC contributions from conservative groups and small businesses.  By contrast, Democrats receive most PAC contributions from labor unions and liberal groups.

The Foundation Laid By Our Forefathers Becoming Noticeably Weak. The Stones Turning Into Sand

Another sleepless night.  Why do things like health care, poverty, debt, gun control, welfare, education, religion, and class warfare keep fighting for brain space night after night?  Sleep has become hard to find.  These thoughts play on and on like a drumbeat that will not cease.  It seems like the morning will never come. And then the light bulb of recognition turns on.  These are themes that are becoming more and more prevalent in the headlines each day.  However, it is often hard to hear them through all the political hatred thrown at Donald Trump.  

Sleepless Nights

Have you ever had that feeling when a singular thought keeps repeating itself over and over?  Something that keeps running around in your head?  Sometimes it’s a song.  Sometimes it is a worry you can’t seem to put away.  The bad ones seem to be most vibrant at bedtime when a person wants to sleep. To older folks, health care issues are our worry.  Younger people are concerned as well.  Of particular significance is plans to remove our health care from the private sector and place it under government control with the supposed intent, we are told, of making it better and cheaper.  

It's Broken.  Fix it

A wise old Iowa farmer once told his son, "If it's broken, you can't fix it until you know why it broke."  The advice is valid and needs to be applied to the problems of our day. There is much angst, worry, and concern over recent events in our country involving the mass shooting of innocent people.  Politicians are running to the TV cameras to explain how they will "fix it."  A plausible answer has yet to emerge from the chest-pounding and vote-seeking noise we are hearing. Will simply writing new laws on a piece of paper solve the situation?

Coming to Your Neighborhood

“A mass shooting is coming to a neighborhood near you!” The phrase becomes chilling through a play on a common movie advertising phrase. The latest mass shooting in Illinois has sparked the response that, unfortunately, we all are becoming accustomed to. Politicians will offer their ideas to pass new laws to “fix” the situation. Fortifications will be added for future safety at such events. Similar events will be canceled or never planned in the future.

You Can’t Kill Me Anymore

I am extremely happy to be alive. My wife and I have four beautiful children and four grandchildren. God has blessed me with a life that has been exceptional in many ways. From twenty years in commercial broadcasting, years as a US Congressman, and thirteen years as VP of a firearms ballistic company helping build their technology into the leading ballistics identification methodology in the World, it has been a fantastic ride. My birth mother decided not to use abortion as birth control. Instead, she walked into the Florence Crittenden Home for Unwed Mothers and gave me my life.

An open letter to the President

May 26, 2022 Jim Ross Lightfoot Dear Mr. President. I write to you today with a broken heart. As you well know, 19 children and two teachers were gunned down by a mentally ill teenager in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. When you gave a public message of condolence to the parents and families of these murdered young people, I thought you started your comments on the correct note. You were going to be the leader the President of the United States is expected to be. I expected that you would say kind words to soothe our broken hearts and bring all Americans together to understand what a tragedy this mass murder of innocent children and teachers is for all Americans.

Proactive Instead of Reactive

The people of Texas are heartbroken today. The senseless, cruel, evil, immoral mass shooting in Uvalde has rocked our state and broken our hearts. Sadly, politicians are running about proclaiming all kinds of political solutions. These people are doing no service to our country or the people of Uvalde. They are only attempting to push their political agenda. The biggest tragedy is most of these mass shootings in our country could have been prevented. There were plenty of indicators that the perpetrators of the mass shootings were preparing for their evil deeds. And all of these signs were ignored.

Thanks, Mom; I Love You

September in Iowa is a beautiful time. Summer’s heat is gone, tree leaves turn gorgeous Fall colors, and days are getting shorter. Pregnant, 19-year-old Helen Blair walks up to the front door of the venerable old building standing at 814 Pierce Street, Sioux City, Iowa. Nervously, she reaches out and places her hand on the doorknob. “Should I do this or not?” was foremost in her mind. Helen knew she could not take care of a baby. She is just too young and totally short of resources. The father of her baby is taking no responsibility for the pregnancy, so she has no help from him.

War in America

As we watch the first televised war in our history unfold on TV, American hearts are broken, witnessing the brutality unleashed on innocent citizens, especially the very old and very young.  The deliberate targeting of schools, daycare centers, and a theater known to house women and children seeking refuge from the continuous beatings from bombs and rockets is beyond belief.  That the leader of any country could be so unfeeling, heartless, and devoid of any reasonable human emotion is difficult to comprehend.

Back to the Good Old Days

Aw, the good old days! How many times have you heard that expression? For those in my generation, the mind jumps back to high school in the 1950s. There is no need looking for the car or pickup keys as they are always in the ignition, even when parked in town. My folks never did find a key to lock the house.

The Deadlier Plague That’s Killing Off America

After watching the attorney general's ad-nauseam long political speech yesterday, I wonder if the DOJ will investigate the left wingers that disguised themselves as Trump supporters and led the march on our US Capitol building? I wonder if his so-called investigation will look into the situation, that I have from very reliable sources, those in charge at the Capitol were aware this attack was going to take place several days before it did?

Bob, may you rest in peace. You are my hero and friend, forever

Bob is a very special personal friend. We laughed together and even cried together a time or two. He campaigned for me in Iowa, and I campaigned for him when he ran for president. Those of us living in Iowa used to joke that, "Bob, spends so much time in Iowa that we need to make him an honorary citizen!" Bob knew I held commercial and instrument flying certificates. We were campaigning in northern Iowa when he ran for president. Our plane, made a rather rough landing. Bob reached over to me and very seriously asked, “We're OK aren't we?”

Lightfoot: People, not guns, are the problem

One of the significant concerns held by the founders of our country was that the government not be allowed to get too big. Our system of government is constructed in such a fashion the people are in charge, not the elected politicians. The politicians are elected to do the will of the people. The Second Amendment provides that citizens can freely possess firearms. The rationale is for citizens to be able to protect themselves from a government that grows too large. The Second Amendment has been under assault for many years. As the government has grown larger and larger, the pressure in Congress to abolish the personal ownership of arms has been increasing year after year.

Hey, Mom, Your Unborn Baby Calling

Once again, the pro-abortion fight in the US Congress has heated up. What is known as the Hyde Amendment, basically preventing the use of tax dollars to fund abortions, has been stripped from passing legislation. Perhaps, there is one voice in this debate that has not been heard.